For those of us who work on a "commission only" basis, it can be difficult to make a budget for household expenses or other personal financial decisions. Not knowing from one month to the next what your income will be can be tough. With this in mind, many sales professionals have decided to supplement their income with extra income, by either working a part-time job, starting a business on the side, or working as a "gig" employee.
Years ago when I was just getting started selling insurance, I would work a part-time job in a retail store. This extra income helped to pay some of my expenses, which helped out tremendously until I could get my career off the ground. As soon as it looked like I may be okay, I turned in my notice. The funny part was that my retail manager asked if she could keep me on the payroll in case one of the other employees called in sick. I worked about once a month for them for another 2 years.
A friend of mine who is also an insurance agent, has kept his gig as an Uber driver for a few years. He likes it because of the flexibility the job offers. "If I want to work, I just turn on the app on my phone," he told me. "On those days when I don't have any set appointments I can still make money."
Another former co-worker of mine was struggling in the insurance business (as many do) so he and his wife opened a pet care business on the side. It blossomed and he has made that his full-time work now, leaving the insurance business behind.
From the sales manager's perspective, as well as that of the company, having their sales reps working somewhere else is mostly frowned upon. In their mind, the time spent on a side hustle could be spent on prospecting. Realistically we all know that bills have to be paid and that prospecting, even if successful, may not pay off for weeks or months.
One of the key things to remember when starting a side hustle is that it can water down your personal brand. In my book I discuss how your name is your brand, and that when people see you working in other fields, it can dilute the strength of your work reputation. My Uber driver friend avoids this by working his side gig out of town mostly, where his customers don't know him.
However, you don't want to be in a situation where people are confused as to what your job is. Are you a realtor or a protein shake distributor? An attorney I met was also involved in a multi-level marketing (MLM) company selling cellphone plans. Needless to say, most of her clients were confused as to what she did for a living.
As a side note, don't let your side hustle be confused with your favorite cause. Many salespeople have a charity that they support, such as Special Olympics or the American Cancer Society, or even a local non-profit. Clients see this more as an altruistic endeavor and actually appreciate it.
If you have to pay your bills, don't hesitate to get that extra job, but make sure it doesn't cut into your business or personal reputation.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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